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Song of Songs 2v8-13                 Look, here he comes! v8

James 1v17-27                           Listening and Doing!

Mark 7v1-8,14-15,21-23       Clean and unclean.

What does God hope to find in our hearts?

God looks at the hart of a person to see how pure or holy they are!

“Nothing outside a man can make him unclean by going into him, rather it is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean.” v15

“It is what comes out of a man’s heart that makes him unclean.” v20.

What do we find in the harts of the Pharisees:-

·         Judgement against outsiders

·         Who’s out and who’s in?

·         Rejection of those who don’t fit

·         Pressure to conform

·         Intimidation and threat

·         Control

All in the name of God!

What does Jesus effectively say to those religious leaders:-

“Take a close look at yourselves.”

“What are you doing?”

“Is this what God wants from you?”

“Does not God seek mercy, grace and love?

Does he not teach forgiveness and acceptance?

Should these qualities not be the ones that you model to each other and to the people and the outsider?”

Is it possible that we too can be like the Pharisees, when we try to do God’s work for Him in our own strength or ego.

·         Like Saul bent on serving God and killing the Christians.

·         Or the sons of thunder wanting to bring fire down on the people.

·         Or Peter cutting off the guard’s ear at the arrest of Jesus.

We can find ourselves judging others and trying to control their behaviour.

But Jesus taught us a new commandment:-

“To love one another, as I have loved you, so must you love one-another.”

John 13v34 and 15v12

·         How important it is then to always make sure that we work from the basis of God’s love for others rather than imagining God’s disapproval and judgement on others.

·         Would I want God to use the same measure of love and judgement on me as I use on others?

·         Or rather, should I not show the same measure of love and forgiveness to others and God does to me!

“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one-another.” John 123v35

May God find in us a hart that has been transformed by His love, and therefore overflows with love for others!